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Do not adjust your monitors, do not wipe your glasses clean. You're 100 percent looking at a Super Mario-glossed entry in GungHo's incredibly popular Puzzle & Dragons series, and it's coming to 3DS in Japan this April. GungHo America also notes an "overseas release" of the thus-titled Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Editionthrough Nintendo.

[Update: A Nintendo spokesperson told Digital Spy that currently Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition is a "Japanese-only announcement." So it's unclear what exactly GungHo America's referring to by "overseas release." We've reached out to GungHo for clarification.]

Details are limited at the moment - according to Gematsu the match-3 game features both local multiplayer and StreetPass functionality. From another angle, the most important details lie in the numbers. GungHo just revealed that the original mobile Puzzle & Dragons surpassed 6 million downloads in North America, taking the free-to-play game's worldwide tally to more than a staggering 41 million. To put that in perspective, in April 2013Puzzle & Dragons raked in $3.76 million per day. Furthermore, it's well established that Mario likes gold coins.

If you still puzzled, check out GungHo's announcement trailer below the break.

Starting on November 10, Puzzle & Dragons players can access a new dungeon populated by familiar faces from DC comics. Superman, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, and others will appear both as combatants and as recruitable characters that players can win via an in-game rare egg machine.

Next week's crossover follows up on previous GungHo partnerships that introduced guest characters from Batman: Arkham Origins, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Dragon Ball Z. At long last, universes will collide and fanfiction will become reality as Superman teams up with Asuka Langley and Goku in custom player parties. This is a thing that will happen. This is a thing that must happen.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androiddc-comicsgunghoiosipadiphonemobilepuzzle-and-dragonsThu, 06 Nov 2014 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/27/gungho-strikes-publishing-deal-with-skulls-of-the-shogun-dev/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/27/gungho-strikes-publishing-deal-with-skulls-of-the-shogun-dev/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/27/gungho-strikes-publishing-deal-with-skulls-of-the-shogun-dev/#commentsPuzzle & Dragons creator GungHo Online Entertainment America has secured a deal to publish games from 17-BIT, developer of the multiplatform tactical strategy game Skulls of the Shogun and the upcoming Galak-Z: The Dimensional.

GungHo notes that it established the relationship in order to "[deliver] classic game experiences with modern technologies and hardware." The company previously partnered with developer Grasshopper Manufacture to produce PS4-exclusive Let It Die.

"17-BIT's dedication to re-energizing classic genres for next-gen gaming fits perfectly with GungHo's core values and notably expands the breadth of our game portfolio," said GungHo America CEO Jun Iwasaki. "We pursued this partnership because we have high expectations for the developer and are eagerly awaiting to collaborate on their next major release."

Galak-Z is due to launch this fall for the PlayStation Vita, PS4, and PC platforms.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>17-bitgalak-zgunghogungho-online-entertainmentpcplaystationplaystation-vitaps4skulls-of-the-shogunvitaMon, 27 Oct 2014 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/22/puzzle-and-dragons-tops-30-million-downloads-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/22/puzzle-and-dragons-tops-30-million-downloads-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/22/puzzle-and-dragons-tops-30-million-downloads-in-japan/#comments
Publisher Gung Ho Entertainment has announced that its massively addictive puzzle-RPG Puzzle & Dragons has been downloaded over 30 million times in its native country of Japan, reports Siliconera.

If one were attempting to design a game that could be described as "systemically addictive," it would be difficult to top the concepts found in Puzzle & Dragons. Players navigate a dungeon, taking part in battles, capturing monsters and using those monsters to battle other, more powerful monsters. In lieu of combat, all conflict in Puzzle & Dragons plays out on a grid full of icons which players must align to perform attacks. It's a simple system that's easy to learn but difficult to master, and Gung Ho is constantly adding new, free content to the game, including crossovers with other media properties like Batman, Hello Kitty (pictured above) and the stylized robots of the Evangelion anime.

If you're suddenly intrigued by the mobile game that's taken Japan by storm, you can find Puzzle & Dragons available on both the Android and iOS app stores. It's free-to-play, but know that the temptation to spend real-world cash on Magic Stones grows pretty intense after the first handful of dungeons.

GungHo hopes to "bring over as many PSOne Classics as possible," and previously spearheaded North American releases for games like Zanac X Zanac and Makeruna Makendo 2. GungHo's PSOne import games are priced at $5.99 apiece.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunghoplaystationplaystation-networkplaystation-vitaps3psonepsone-classicspsone-importspspsonyvitaTue, 13 May 2014 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/12/27/twenty-developers-you-dont-know-but-should/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/12/27/twenty-developers-you-dont-know-but-should/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/12/27/twenty-developers-you-dont-know-but-should/#comments
Between consoles, PC, mobile and everything in between, there are so many games released today that it's impossible to keep up with everything that's coming out - and it's even harder to keep up with the studios behind them. Even with a gaming public that's grown accustomed to following big developers like Valve and small studios like Double Fine, countless other studios slide under the radar. In the interest of sifting a signal from the noise, the Joystiq crew has selected 20 developers that deserve your attention. These studios are making games you should play, and their future work should be highly anticipated.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and we invite you to share your own favorites in the comments!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amplitudecoffee staindejobaan-gamesdigital realitydokurodrinkbox-studiosfacepalm-gamesfireproof-gamesGungHoGungHo-Online-EntertainmentHaemimont-Gamesharebrained-schemesoverkill-softwareowlchemy-labsparadoxrobot-entertainmentsimogostardockstarquail-gamestribute-gameswadjet-eye-gamesFri, 27 Dec 2013 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/29/puzzle-and-dragons-pushes-gungho-sales-to-763-million-through/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/29/puzzle-and-dragons-pushes-gungho-sales-to-763-million-through/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/29/puzzle-and-dragons-pushes-gungho-sales-to-763-million-through/#comments
GungHo sales from January to June 2013 were $763 million, up 946 percent year-over-year, Dr. Serkan Toto translates from the company's financial report. Its net income during the period was $287 million, up 2,609 percent from 2012. Between April and June alone, GungHo brought in $4.9 million a day in sales, for a net income of $161 million.

GungHo's main source of all this magical cash is Puzzle & Dragons, a mobile RPG puzzler. Sales from Puzzle & Dragons tallied $113 million in April, earning $3.76 million daily. The game currently has 17 million players in Japan.

GungHo operates other games, too, and it expects overall July sales to hit "just" $138 million, bringing the daily average to $4.5 million per day, down from the April - June average of $4.9 million. Puzzle & Dragons is on its way to 3DS in Japan this winter, and it should hit the UK and Australia this year for mobile platforms.

Lastly, Max Payne 3 and Max Payne 3: Ultimate Edition are on sale starting this week for $7.99 and $11.99, respectively. The Ultimate Edition version includes the Rockstar Pass, which grants access to maps, items and other DLC such as the Local Justice pack.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dokuroGungHoGungHo-Online-Entertainmentplaystationplaystation-plusplaystation-vitaps-plusps3vitaMon, 29 Jul 2013 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/grasshopper-is-using-unreal-engine-4-heavily/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/grasshopper-is-using-unreal-engine-4-heavily/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/grasshopper-is-using-unreal-engine-4-heavily/#commentsNo More Heroes and Killer is Dead dev Grasshopper Manufacture is "heavily relying" on Unreal Engine 4, with next-gen games in mind. Speaking to Joystiq at E3, Grasshopper CEO Goichi Suda, most commonly known as Suda 51, confirmed his studio's use of Epic's next-gen engine when asked about his thoughts on the PS4 and Xbox One.

"As a developer, we're heavily relying right now on Unreal Engine 4," Suda told us. "That works really well with both systems - or in the sense that we could go either way."

Grasshopper recently revealed it has a stylistic action game in development that isn't Killer is Dead - and it isn't No More Heroes 3 either. As Suda told Siliconera back in April, it's a new game coming to one or more consoles. He also teased to Siliconera the game was either running on Unreal Engine 3 or Unreal Engine 4, adding that if he said which one then "you would know about the platforms."

Suda told Joystiq we can expect Unreal Engine 4 in Grasshopper games "if it's a big title, or if it's suited to that title," all of which suggests a next-gen landing for said secretive game.

As for the future possibility of No More Heroes 3, Suda told us, "Travis [Touchdown] is one of the characters I'm really fond of, that means a lot to me. So if there was the opportunity to create another sequel then yeah, I'm always up to the idea."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2013goichi-sudagrasshopper-manufactureGungHoGungHo-Online-Entertainmentno-more-heroes-3ps4suda-51unreal-engine-4xbox-oneTue, 18 Jun 2013 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/25/ragnarok-odyssey-ace-journeys-to-north-america-europe-this-wint/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/25/ragnarok-odyssey-ace-journeys-to-north-america-europe-this-wint/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/25/ragnarok-odyssey-ace-journeys-to-north-america-europe-this-wint/#comments
Marvelous USA (formerly Xseed) announced that it has secured the North American publishing rights for Game Arts' PlayStation 3 and PS Vita action-RPG Ragnarok Odyssey Ace. A European release is also in the works, courtesy of Japanese publisher GungHo.

An expanded version of last year's PS Vita release Ragnarok Odyssey, Ace boasts numerous gameplay additions and includes all of the original game's DLC. Ace additionally supports cross-platform play, giving PS3 and PS Vita players the ability to party up and quest for loot together.

Ragnarok Odyssey Ace will launch this winter in North America and Europe. Marvelous USA plans to show off the PS Vita version at E3 in June.

To put that in perspective, GungHo's catalog-wide earnings for April totaled ¥12 billion ($119 million) - a 1,142.8 percent increase over its performance in April 2012. Puzzle & Dragons currently generates $3.76 million in daily revenue, and boasts 13 million players in Japan.

Puzzle & Dragons originally launched for iOS and Android devices last year. A Nintendo 3DS adaptation is slated for release in Japan this winter.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidfinancialsgunghoiosiphonemobilepuzzle-and-dragonsMon, 13 May 2013 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/puzzle-and-dragons-now-available-on-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/puzzle-and-dragons-now-available-on-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/puzzle-and-dragons-now-available-on-android/#commentsYou guys are never going to guess what Puzzle & Dragons is about. Not in a million years. Want a hint? Well it's got something to do with ... Oh, no that's totally right, yeah. Puzzles and dragons. Good guess.

Originally released for iOS back in November, Puzzle & Dragon is now available on the Google Play store for Android devices in South Korea and North America. The free-to-play puzzle/RPG is an equal parts Bejeweled, Puzzle Fighter and Pokemon cocktail, with players capturing (and evolving) teams of monsters in order to do battle against other monsters. Damage is done by successfully matching groups of colored gems, as seen in the trailer above.

Puzzle & Dragon's microtransactional hook comes in the form of Magic Stones, which, once purchased, can be used to restore health, obtain rare monsters and restart failed dungeons, among other uses.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidfree-to-playGungHoGungHo-Online-EntertainmentmicrotransactionsmobilePuzzle-and-DragonsSat, 15 Dec 2012 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/dokuro-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/dokuro-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/dokuro-review/#commentsLet's talk about puzzle games. When you hear the term, your mind usually goes to falling-block stuff like Tetris and Puyo Puyo, right? But it's broad terminology: it can also apply to games in which you are presented with a series of problems that need solving - say, escaping a room, moving objects into certain positions, solving riddles ... you know what I mean, right?

Well, I have an issue with these games: I'm almost universally terrible at them. I can't really tell you why, either. I like most of the ones I play, mind you. But as soon as I start feeling that twinge of frustration from a solution that eludes me, I hop on the internet and turn on Youtube. If I don't, I'm just going to fluster myself trying to figure it out. By the time the game reaches its climax, I have a controller under one hand and my laptop under the other, checking to make sure I'm doing everything right.

This is one of the reasons why GungHo and GameArts's Dokuro sticks out so much. For perhaps the first time since the original Portal, I'm not immediately running to the online solution bin the moment things start to get tricky. I'm savoring the feeling of gradually figuring things out for myself, discovering how mechanics work together and deducing how they can be used to accomplish the task at hand, and I'm loving it.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dokurogameartsGungHoGungHo-Online-Entertainmentplaystationplaystation-vitavitaWed, 24 Oct 2012 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/silpheed-alternative-menace-from-beyond-the-stars-hits-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/silpheed-alternative-menace-from-beyond-the-stars-hits-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/silpheed-alternative-menace-from-beyond-the-stars-hits-android/#comments
We don't know which is more astounding, the fact that there's a new Silpheed game, or the fact that it's for Google's Android OS. Silpheed Alternative: Menace from Beyond the Stars is the first entry in the series in over a decade, spiritual successors notwithstanding. Much like its predecessors, Silpheed Alternative pits the player against impossible odds and an immense armada of warships in one of mankind's few available fighters.

Unlike its predecessors, however, Silpheed Alternative eschews the series' traditional isometric viewpoint and shmup gameplay in favor of three-dimensional dogfighting, ala X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. The game is available now on the Android Marketplace for $2.99, compatible with Android devices running 2.1 or higher.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidgame-artsGungHomobilesilpheedsilpheed-alternative-menace-from-beyond-the-starsMon, 08 Aug 2011 22:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xseed-reveals-preorder-bonuses-for-ragnarok-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xseed-reveals-preorder-bonuses-for-ragnarok-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xseed-reveals-preorder-bonuses-for-ragnarok-ds/#commentsclick for a Massively Multi-Image Online GalleryRemember Ragnarok DS? If you do, you're likely an avid fan of the Ragnarok OnlineMMO, and thus exactly the kind of person XSEED hopes to entice with the pre-order bonuses for the DS game.

Pre-orders for the DS RPG will include exclusive in-game items for the PC game, which increase experience, attack speed, damage and other stats when used. In addition, every retail package will have more items thrown in, which increase even more stats.

While at first blush it seems obvious to target people who like Ragnarok with this Ragnarok spinoff, it actually strikes us as kind of odd. People obsessed with Ragnarok have a lot of online gaming in their lives as it is! Are they going to want to jump into some random dungeons with just a few people?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunghopre-orderragnarok-dsragnarok-onlinerpgspinoffThu, 10 Dec 2009 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/15/the-first-blurry-minutes-of-ragnarok-online-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/15/the-first-blurry-minutes-of-ragnarok-online-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/15/the-first-blurry-minutes-of-ragnarok-online-ds/#comments
The first moments of a new game can be awkward. Unless you're just tossed right in, which has its own problems, there's usually a bit of interfacing going on. Now imagine peering over someone else's shoulder as they fiddle around with that just-opened game. That's this video of Ragnarok Online DS, except it's longer than that sentence was.

So it's not the best quality, but if you want an actual view of what you'll be seeing (sort of; your view would be better) if this game ever makes it over, or if you import, this is your chance.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunghoragnarokragnarok-onlinerpgwi-fiMon, 15 Dec 2008 12:59:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/look-at-these-ragnarok-online-screens-with-a-friend-or-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/look-at-these-ragnarok-online-screens-with-a-friend-or-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/look-at-these-ragnarok-online-screens-with-a-friend-or-two/#commentsCall it Ragnarok Sort-of-Online if you want, but the lessened online play doesn't change the fact that the screens for the slimmed-down portable (and single-player-focused) version of the MMO game look pretty good. So good, in fact, that held up next to similarly-sized screens from the original game, they look eerily familiar.

Ragnarok Online DS does feature three-player parties over Wi-Fi in addition to a single player mode, and in our minds, that only extends the game's appeal. It's set for a debut in Japan in mid-December.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunghoragnarokragnarok-onlinerpgWed, 06 Aug 2008 14:22:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/ragnarok-online-ds-screens-revealed-before-the-end-of-the-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/ragnarok-online-ds-screens-revealed-before-the-end-of-the-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/ragnarok-online-ds-screens-revealed-before-the-end-of-the-world/#comments
After the announcement of a DS Ragnarok Online game over a year ago, we weren't sure if Gungho would get around to showing the game before the actual Ragnarok occurred. We haven't been plunged into an extreme winter yet, and the world has yet to be submerged with water, so we're pretty sure Gungho and developer Gravity have come out ahead.

Ragnarok Online may not be an MMO like the original game, but even as a single-player RPG (with unspecified online features) it's worth keeping an eye on, mostly due to the absolutely gigantic character sprites. It also appears to have gestural attack inputs controlled by the stylus. Ragnarok Online DS comes out December 18, and we're sure more info will show up soon.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gravitygunghoragnarokragnarok-onlinerpgWed, 30 Jul 2008 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/golf-training-tees-off-in-japan-this-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/golf-training-tees-off-in-japan-this-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/golf-training-tees-off-in-japan-this-october/#commentsGolf is big in Japan. Training games are big in Japan. Hence, somebody at GungHo Works finally did the math and worked out that a golf traininggame would be huge in Japan. This is the result: Golf Cut 100 DS, a training title focused entirely on improving your ability to accurately hit tiny balls with long sticks, and teaching you the difference between plus fours and putters in the process.

Developed in conjunction with monthly golf magazine Golf Digest and out this October, Golf Cut 100 offers quizzes, lessons on course etiquette, and advice on 100 golfing techniques. Given some of the otherstuff Japan has already been trained in, a golf trainer seems pretty normal to us at this stage. Drive your golf cart past the break for more shots.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>golfgunghogungho-worksjapansportstrainingThu, 26 Jun 2008 14:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/11/friday-video-target-audience/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/11/friday-video-target-audience/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/11/friday-video-target-audience/#comments
Ever wonder who those aquarium games are made for? It may seem unlikely to you that anyone would want a game about staring at fake fish. But the commercial (and pretty much all the other advertising) for GungHo's Sakana to Asobou! Aquazone DS (Play with Fish! Aquazone DS) lets us know exactly who these games are for: cats.

"Healing human (stress? something like that) is a cat's job," the ad's star thinks. "But I want to be healed too." Cue a contented curl into a DS Lite running Aquazone. And cue our hearts totally melting. We went for the Aquazone cat wallpapers right away, and we're considering ordering a copy of the game for our own feline family members. Click on the mellow cat above to access the video!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aquariumaquazonegunghonyaaFri, 11 Apr 2008 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/11/math-drills-the-japanese-interpretation-of-the-indian-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/11/math-drills-the-japanese-interpretation-of-the-indian-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/11/math-drills-the-japanese-interpretation-of-the-indian-way/#commentsGungHo's Nakamura Toru kanshuu Indo-shiki Keisan Drill (Indian Style Calculation Drills Supervised by Toru Nakamura) improves calculation speed and skills with special techniques and shortcuts. You may be asking yourself (or us, or no one in particular): How is this Indian style? What does India have to do with teaching math skills? Or, it may be plainly obvious to you. It wasn't to us.

Vedic Mathematics is a system of math found in Vedas rediscovered in the early 20th century (or made up by some guy-- we're not about to go after the solution to that mystery while researching a DS non-game). It is based on sixteen sutras that provide simple methods for calculations.

Publisher Shinyusha's book Math Drills: The Indian Way is currently a massive hit in Japan and has sparked a Vedic math fad, not only among the school-aged, but among adults. And what is the other fad in Japanese education techniques? Right, the Nintendo DS. Shinyusha is partnered with GungHo in the development of Indian Style Calculation Drills. And now you know ... the rest of the story. Good day!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunghoindian-style-calculation-drillstrainingvedic-mathTue, 11 Sep 2007 09:50:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/ragnarok-online-not-as-online-as-you-may-have-thought/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/ragnarok-online-not-as-online-as-you-may-have-thought/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/ragnarok-online-not-as-online-as-you-may-have-thought/#comments
Well, we had one day to freak out over a DS MMO. We can all relax now. It turns out that Gungho's planned DS Ragnarok game is not going to be massively multiplayer. It's an action-RPG with some unspecified Wi-Fi use. Maybe, if we're lucky, it'll be online multiplayer on a smaller scale.

Okay, here's a thought experiment for you: what's more of a cash-in: an MMO, or a handheld spinoff of an MMO? Oh, well, we like action-RPG's better than MMO's anyway.